People skilled with gym equipment and sporting goods are familiar with playground hoops and their use for recreational and physical education purposes. Playground hoops are commonly used for exercise or recreation. These hoops can also be placed on the ground in various positions to facilitate different playground games. The playground hoops provide circular spaces on the floor, forming the basis for many playground games. But used alone, these hoops may only be used in a position parallel with the ground unless someone holds the hoop in an upright position.
The user's hoop-positioning options are limited by the horizontal hoop-orientation, and to have someone hold the hoop is impractical. Additionally, common playground hoops are usually fashioned from hard plastic. Firmly linking hoops and hoop-holding devices, both made from hard plastic, is difficult because of hard plastic's low coefficient of friction. Even with small tolerances between the playground hoop and hoop-holding device, the slightest disturbance will move the hoop relative to the hoop-holding device.
Standard commercial playground hoops have diameters that range from approximately ⅝″ to ⅞″. Achieving a reasonable fit between a hoop-holding device and various playground hoop diameters in the past required the hoop-holding device diameter to be matched with the diameter of the particular hoop being held. Users of playground hoops often include school gym teachers who constantly replace broken or damaged hoops. Finding cheap replacement hoops is difficult because one must find the exact hoop diameter of the hoop holder. Purchasing multiple hoop-holding devices for each hoop diameter would allow owners to purchase a greater variety of hoop sizes. But this solution is expensive and impractical, requiring extra money to purchase additional hoop-holding devices, extra time to coordinate appropriately sized hoops and hoop-holders and extra storage space for housing the equipment.
The prior art addresses the aforementioned problems by gripping the hoops with c-clips. These c-clips are generally spaced either by a straight bar or an angled joint. The straight bar, angled joint and c-clip components are united using pressure-fit components and are subject to unintentional separation if bumped or nudged during rough play. Further, the prior-art designs attach two hoops, but force the user to keep the hoops in a horizontal position on the ground, link the hoops in a square lattice or precariously position an upright hoop at an angle ninety degrees to the ground. If the hoop is positioned at an angle less than ninety degrees to the ground, gravity, acting in concert with the weight of the hoop, will force the hoop to fall. Even with the hoop standing perpendicular to the ground, small disruptions will cause the hoop to move or fall. It is possible to place the hoops at different angles using the prior art. But the hoops will fall very easily due to the smooth surfaces of previous hoop-holding solutions and the weight of the hoop. Without a robust hoop-holding attachment having the ability to accommodate multiple cross-sectional hoop diameters, the uses for hoop-holding devices are quite limited.